[ "Might Nabokov have somehow indicated his
authorial place ( at the zenith?) by a peculiar geometrical arrangement of
sun, moon and orbiting planet?"]
MR: I believe that Gerard deVries has made this precise
argument--that the three main characters are represented by Earth, Sun, and
Moon, and together they become Nabokov. This occurs on the evening of
Shade's assassination, which deVries has shown was a full moon (but alas,
not an eclipse).
Jansy: Matt, thanks for
considering my hypothesis and, unfortunately I cannot lay my hands on
the De Vries text.
Btw, my answer to your message was a bit hurried
and imprecise. You didn't compare the
earthshine/ashen-glow with an eclipse.
You simply mentioned the convergence of the three
elements ( sun, moon and earth) and an unblemished full moon at
the night of the murder.
But why should we believe there are three
characters writing Pale Fire together( inspite of what is stated in
the Index)?
Gradus is a product of Kinbote's
imagination and if Shade really dies we only need two
writer-characters.
The moment when Shade
started to set down the poem then linked to his fate
was after Canto II , when Gradus started to move towards
him.
Gradus' movements in synchronization with Shade's
poem only started on July 5th, 1959, the 6th Sunday after Trinity (?).
Did anything untoward happen at Shade's birthday party
that sealed his destiny? Uninvited Kinbote was frustrated
and angry. Was Sybil also offended by something her husband said or
did?
Shade began Canto II in the early hours of July 5, in
New Wye and Gradus left the "other hemisphere" at noon (Atlantic
seabord time...?).
Why would Shade meet Gradus "three weeks later". From
July 5 to July 21 we count 16 days. What three weeks are those Kinbote
refers to?
What is "ATLANTIC SEABOARD TIME"?
(I'm sorry if my questions have already been answered
somewhere else. I could not access the necessary
bibliography.)